Political Analyst, Isaac Tope Omidiji, thinks the creation of the Ministry of Happiness and Fulfilment by the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okoracha and the appointment of his sister as the Commissioner is a gross abuse of power and symbolises nepotism of the highest order. ABDULRAHMAN ZAKARIYAU brings excerpt.
What is your opinion about the recent move by the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okoroch, creating the Ministry of Happiness and Fulfilment as well as the appointment of his sister, as commissioner in charge of the ministry?
“Recently, controversies seems to be a close ally of Governor Rochas Okorocha. From the erecting of unnecessary statues, unguarded comments about 2019 and now the appointment of his sister as the Commissioner of Happiness and Couples fulfillment.
“The news came to me like many others with shock and awe wondering why that should be a priority to a government and governor that is battling with image problem.
“Morally, it is wrong for the sister of the Governor to be appointed as a commissioner. Is Okorocha turning governance of the state into a family affair? Some may argued that she is qualified. Yes, she might be qualified as the daughter of the soil but common sense and morality should have been the guide to whatever he decided to do. The choice of his sister as commissioner is a wrong one. It should not be justified at all.
“We should not also forget that Rochas’s sister, Mrs Ogechi Ololo, is expected to keep her initial appointment as the Deputy Chief Of Staff (Domestic and International Matters). Is this not the height of irresponsibility?
So, are you saying the Governor’s action is a result of misplaced priorities?
To understand that this state is also owing salaries and pensions of civil servants made this appointment also very questionable and indeed unnecessary. Instead of cutting cost, the creation of the ministry will further translate into spending unnecessary funds on useless venture. One wonders in what way will that affect the lives of the suffering masses in Imo? If the state is crying of poor funding, is this initiative sensible? Obviously no.
When Okorocha won his first term in office, he was one of the few governors that you could describe as intelligent, people-oriented and focused. The manner he paid pensioners with his security votes and other landmark achievements should not be forgotten. However, recent events have not only ridicule governance but insulted the sensitivity of the people of Imo state.
But, the Governor seems to have made the appointment in other to make the indigent people of Imo State happy?
If he claimed that the ministry was created to address bitterness in the state, why not put away those things that brought about the bitterness and unhappiness in the state? They are simply and primarily poor and unpopular policies and programmes. All Okorocha needed to have done was to pay civil servants their entitlements and rescind some of his poor and inhuman policies which would have been more cost effective than a political compensating exercise of creating the new ministry.
The governor seems unconcerned with the real plight of the people of Imo and of course acting in tune with his political party, the APC which many have seen as creatively deceitful and mainly thriving on false propaganda and unnecessary alarm.
The newly created ministry is a scam which should not have been the Governor’s priority. He should have first of all, noted the complaints of the masses before going for the ministry.
In Imo State, problems of salary cuts, non-payment of pension arrears, uneven distribution of resources, bad roads, inadequate commercial vehicles to serve the masses, stuffing of commercial vehicles with six passengers instead of four, high cost of commodities in the market or services etc should have been looked into before venturing into the creation a ministry that will not serve the interest of the people.
